Mona Lavender – Keeping it Alive

Q: I bought a beautiful Mona Lavender at the beginning of the summer and have managed not to kill it. I would love to keep it alive until next spring.

A: ‘Mona Lavender’ plectranthus is a beautiful plant! It was developed in South Africa and has only been available for a few years. It’s not winter hardy but you can cut it back to a comfortable size and bring it indoors each fall. It is also easy to take 6″ cuttings and root them in a cup of moist potting soil put in a warm, sunny window. Remember that ‘Mona Lavender” blooms in response to shortening nights. This means it naturally puts out flowers starting in September each year. The heavily flowering plants sold at nurseries in spring have been artificially forced into bloom.